ISMRM25 - The Very Basics of Contrast Mechanisms: From T1 to CEST

ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting & Exhibition • 10-15 May 2025 • Honolulu, Hawai'i

The Very Basics of Contrast Mechanisms: From T1 to CEST

Weekend Course

ORGANIZERS: Mohammed Al-masni, Jessica Bastiaansen, Kurt Schilling, Yuriko Suzuki, Cristian Tejos

Saturday, 10 May 2025

316C

08:00 - 12:00

Moderators:
Part I: Maria Eugenia Caligiuri & Se-Hong Oh
Part II: Milena Capiglioni & Matthias van Osch

Skill Level: Basic to Intermediate

Session Number: WE-04

No CME/CE Credit

Session Number: WE-04

Overview
This course will provide the attendees with an introduction to the contrast mechanism, focusing on how to acquire specific MRI contrast generated by relaxation parameters, chemical shift (e.g. water/fat), spin displacement (from blood flow to diffusion), perfusion, functional MRI, elastography, and CEST, including potential clinical applications.

Target Audience
Beginner to intermediate researchers or clinicians, including trainees (students and fellows) who wish to learn the basics of MRI contrast mechanisms.

Educational Objectives
As a result of attending this course, participants should be able to:
• Describe primary contrast mechanisms;
• List how to obtain these contrasts for clinical use; and
• Identify ways to use contrast mechanisms in different applications.

Part I
08:00		A Meta-Overview of Contrast Mechanisms Hai-Ling Cheng Impact: This meta-overview surveys the rich variety of contrast mechanisms unique to MRI – from basic T₁/T₂/T₂*-based contrast to more advanced contrast mechanisms, including those based on water diffusion, perfusion, chemical shift, and oxygenation-dependent contrast.
08:50		Basics on the Acquisition of Relaxation Parameters (T1, T2, T1rho, T2*) Jee Hun Kim
09:15		Basics of Spin Displacement: From Diffusion Imaging to Blood Flow View Presentation Video Jia Guo Impact: With this introductory lecture, the attendee should be able to understand how the spin displacement information can be encoded into the MR signal for contrast generation at micro- and macroscopic levels, and identify and manipulate such contrasts in MRI applications.
09:40		Chemical Shift as a Contrast Mechanism View Presentation Video Candace Fleischer Impact: In this educational talk, chemical shift-based contrast for MR imaging and spectroscopy will be introduced.
10:05		Break & Meet the Teachers
Part II
10:20		Basics of Perfusion Imaging View Presentation Video David Thomas Impact: MRI can measure tissue perfusion using either injected contrast agents or magnetically labelled blood water. This talk will explain the acquisition methods and image processing approaches for perfusion MRI, and describe the relative pros and cons for different clinical applications.
10:45		The Basics of Functional MRI: Bold & Non-Bold Approaches View Presentation Video Antonio Chiarelli Impact: The lecture will focus on BOLD fMRI and how it probes metabolic and vascular effects of brain activity. We will also cover alternative methods for quantifying brain physiology during activation, along with a brief overview of emerging techniques aimed at directly probing neuronal activity.
11:10		Elastographic MR Images View Presentation Video Meng Yin Impact: Magnetic resonance elastography is a phase contrast technology for quantitatively assessing multiple mechanical properties of soft tissue. It has been successfully translated to clinical usage in staging liver fibrosis. Emerging applications include many other organs and etiologies.
11:35		Basics of CEST View Presentation Video Jinyuan Zhou Impact: This lecture will review CEST basic imaging principles, theory, various quantification methods, nomenclatures, key types, and potential applications. The lecture will cover recent technical advances and opportunities of CEST imaging, which are showing promise clinically.